Park Hyatt Vienna

Shiny and new has its appeal, but you have a soft spot for things with a bit of history. Your Chanel stole is vintage, thank you very much. You long for a “for sale” sign in front of that 1820s bungalow on Cape Cod each and every time you drive past, even though it’s clearly in need of a more than slight repair. The same goes for hotels – why build from scratch when they can rebuild a piece of history? That was the thinking behind the brand new Park Hyatt Vienna, which opened earlier this month in the city’s Golden Quarter, the spiffy new exclusive shopping district. Hello, Prada. (Vintage Prada also welcome.)

For the 143-key property, which has some of the largest rooms in the city, Park Hyatt nabbed the 100-year-old former headquarters of the Austrian Hungarian Monarchy Bank. The building happens to sit on beautiful Am Hof Square and is a short walk to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace. That’s the thing about historically significant sites – they tend to be in prime locales. They also tend to uphold their architectural integrity, which is just a fancy way of saying no two rooms here are alike.

Regardless of size or ceiling height (although if 15-foot ceilings are your thing, book a room on the first through third floors), you can expect luxe touches like onyx and book-matched marble, cleverly disguised technology like the ol’ TV-in-the-mirror trick and custom Art Nouveau-inspired artwork of period haircombs and brooches, reminiscent of those once worn to traditional Viennese balls. And speaking of Viennese balls, make a point to get yourself an invite. The hotel has designer Magdalena Adriane on standby to custom-design ballgowns for guests. (In this instance, shiny and new is just fine by us.)

Then when it comes to the hotel’s restaurants, there’s The Bank, located in what was once the cashier hall. The modern show kitchen churns out dishes that are a gourmet blend of international and Austrian. There’s also Pearl, where you can enjoy a Märzen and weiner schnitzel, or for a classic wiener melange, head to the lobby lounge. Lastly, the Living Room is your go-to for whisky and cigars. They even have private humidors where you can store your Cubans.

Former bank, Golden Quarter – everything’s coming up gold for Park Hyatt, including the indoor pool housed in the former vault. It’s tiled in gilded stone, which gives the illusion of swimming in a sea of gold bars. Which is a sight that will never get old.